Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §682, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 310, §37, is further amended to read:

2. Influence prohibited. Within 250 feet of the entrance to the voting place as well as within the voting place itself, a person may not influence or attempt to influence another person's decision regarding a candidate or ballot issue. This limitation does not prohibit a candidate from attending the voting place and orally communicating with voters, as long as the candidate does not attempt to influence their vote. A candidate may not state the name of the office sought or request a person's vote for the purpose of voting. A candidate or a candidate's surrogate may not loiter before or after voting within 250 feet of or at the polling place.

A. This subsection does not apply to pollwatchers who may remain in the voting place outside the guardrail enclosure as long as they do not attempt to influence voters or interfere with their free passage.

B. This subsection does not prohibit media representatives from conducting an exit poll, as long as they do not solicit voters until after they have voted and do not orally communicate with voters in a way that influences any person's vote.

C. If any person attempts to influence voters or interfere with their free passage, the warden shall have that person removed from the voting place.

SUMMARY

This bill limits a candidate's activities at a polling place to voting.